Efflorescence
by LovelyDuck
Summary: Five years after the Third Great Ninja War, the countries are almost finished rebuilding, counting their losses, and moving on. Sakura Haruno was moving on too, until a mission to the very edges of Lightning country has her questioning everything she thought she could believe. A story of secrets, love, jealousy, and the ultimate sacrifice.
1. Dawning

**I tend to find disclaimers agitating, because I hope you know that I'm not Masashi Kishimoto and this story is for my own enjoyment - and the enjoyment of my readers - ONLY. I DON'T GET ANY BENEFIT FROM THIS.**

**So I guess that was a disclaimer. But I swear it will be the only one for the entire story.**

**Please enjoy and don't forget to leave a review at the end!**

**Summary below. (Because fanfiction just doesn't give you enough space).**

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_ Five years after the Third Great Ninja War, the countries are almost finished rebuilding, counting their losses, and moving on. Sakura Haruno was moving on too, until a mission to the very edges of Lightning country has her questioning everything she thought she could believe. A story of secrets, love, jealousy, and the ultimate sacrifice._

**xx**

**Efflorescence**

**Chapter 1**

**Dawning**

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**xx**

Winter came early to the northern reaches of Lightning country. Though it was only late autumn, any unfortunate traveler forced to endure those frigid temperatures and biting winds would believe they had been thrust into the depths of winter. Haruno Sakura was one of those unfortunate travelers, and right now she was cursing her luck—and her shishou—for sticking her with a mission to such a remote, desolate backwater.

Maybe she was overreacting just a little, and maybe living in the warm Fire Country with short winters had spoiled her. Though the Land of Lightning was actually a beautiful and untouched country, full of wild forests and glassy lakes that reflected the tall snow-capped mountains, she had been travelling around the Land of Frost for so long that she felt she'd seen enough snow and open country to last her lifetime.

A bristling wind rose up to meet her as she crested a small hill, forcing her to shield her eyes as she spotted a town on the far edge of an ice-covered lake. The crossroads a few miles back had pointed her in this direction, but she pulled her map and compass out just to make sure. Settlements this far north were scattered far apart, and she didn't want to waste hours by going the wrong way.

After a successful mission with Shizune teaching different practices and sharing information with the head medic of a small village near Kumogakure, Sakura had continued on to the northwestern edge of Lightning country, one final village to visit before she returned home.

It had been five years since the official end of the war, and smaller villages were still having trouble rebuilding and refueling their villages for a fresh start. The Hokage had requested that she and Shizune take a short tour of the northern most countries, aiding in the art of medicine and herbs, so that the villages at least might shield themselves from the health hazards that harsh weather conditions brought in the winter.

A strong blast of wind nearly ripped the map from her hands before she hastily folded it and stuffed it into her jacket pocket along with the compass. Another gust set her teeth rattling, and she pulled her cloak tighter around her form, closing off any entrances the wind sought to assault her through.

The village of Samui was nestled within the misty, forested foothills of an expansive mountain range. With one glance, Sakura could tell this was a rugged, practical sort of village with few modern conveniences or amenities. The buildings were all of stone, with steeply pitched roofs meant to hold up under heavy snow, multiple chimneys sprouting from each—a rare sight to someone from a temperate country. The lack of power lines here and in the countryside told her that the entire town ran its electricity from generators.

Just inside the gates, she stopped before the watchman and asked where she could find the clinic. He sucked on his pipe and stared at her curiously for a long moment before finally pointing her in the right direction and returning to his newspaper, which she noticed was a week old. Sakura figured they probably didn't get many visitors all the way out here. They seemed pretty removed from society altogether.

It turned out she didn't even need to ask for directions, as there were only two streets that weren't residential, and they intersected at the middle to form a town square. She had been right about it being a no-frills place; there was nothing in the way of entertainment except for a pub inside the inn. They didn't even have a library, which was nearly criminal in her opinion. Not that she was planning to stay and enjoy herself, but still. How boring.

She spotted the clinic across the street and hurried over, eager to get out of the cold. A tiny bell tinkled overhead as she entered the clinic, and for the first few seconds she just stood there soaking in the heat, her wind-reddened cheeks tingling as they warmed.

A stout, middle-aged woman with graying brown hair came out from the back and smiled at her. She had a cheerful look, with round cheeks and warm, crinkly blue eyes. "May I help you?"

Sakura unwound the scarf from around her face and approached the reception desk. "Yes, I need to speak with the head doctor please."

"That would be me," she said. "My name is Kaede. That's an interesting accent you have. We don't get strangers out this way often."

There it was again. As she spoke, the woman studied her with a shrewd look that bordered on suspicion. Sakura couldn't guess why she would elicit such a reaction from the townsfolk. Maybe they just weren't partial to outsiders.

"I'm from Konoha, in Fire country," she explained, watching Kaede's eyes widen at the name and what it implied. "My name is Sakura. I'm the apprentice of the Hokage, Tsunade."

Kaede's surprise turned to excitement. "Lady Tsunade? Oh, I haven't seen her in years! How is she?"

"She's well," Sakura said amiably. It never ceased to amaze her how many people her shishou knew from her travels. Her renown seemed to spread to every corner of the world.

"That's good to hear. And you say she's the Hokage now? Well, it's only fitting, I suppose. Such a strong woman, and I've never met a better healer in all my years. You said you're her apprentice?" Sakura nodded, and Kaede smiled. "Then you must be very talented."

Sakura returned her smile proudly. "She sent me here to teach your healers. Give them a greater understanding of the sicknesses that plague your country here."

"Oh, no, we're fine here," she declined politely, but Sakura caught the moment of clouded hesitation before she spoke. Kaede then changed the subject. "Are you going to stay in town overnight? I advise you should; it gets right freezing out there on the moors after the sun goes down."

Sakura pursed her lips. In all of the villages she had visited up to this point, her aid had never been turned away before, and it was disconcerting. She knew that this kind women and her other nurses could use help. In the conditions they were in with the harsh and bitter winters, it only made sense that they should welcome foreign knowledge to help them through it.

"Oh! Where are my manners, you must be tired after traveling all this way, not to mention freezing. Have a seat, dear. Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please." She nodded gratefully and took a seat on the padded bench along the wall, glad to get off her feet. Kaede returned after a couple of minutes and handed her a steaming mug.

"There, that should warm you up." She said kindly, busying herself with paperwork at the desk.

Sakura thanked her and cupped her hands around the warm ceramic, breathing the fragrance of chamomile with a pleasant sigh. While she waited, she remained stuck on the refusal of her help. Even if they were well supplied, Kaede had said herself that Sakura must be talented, why not accept the opportunity to learn more? Knowledge is power. She didn't want to dwell to much on it, she would find a reason to stay and help, even if Kaede was hesitant to accept it.

Sakura's thoughts were interrupted suddenly by a small commotion from the back of the clinic. A door slammed. Feminine voices, hushed and concerned, drifted down the hall along with shuffled footsteps, and then two nurses emerged from the hallway. One of the women had her arm around the other, who was clutching her forearm to her chest like it pained her. The glance the supporting nurse shot at Kaede conveyed a weighted message that the doctor seemed to understand perfectly, from the tight press of her lips. The two nurses quickly disappeared into the staff room behind the reception desk.

Sakura followed them with her eyes and then looked to Kaede. "Is everything all right?"

The older woman gave a weary sigh and waved a hand dismissively. "Nothing to worry about, dear. Just having a little trouble with a particularly stubborn patient, that's all."

Sakura got the feeling that 'stubborn' was a glossed-over understatement, if the patient was lashing out. "Anything I can help with? I have some experience with unwilling patients."

Kaede gave a curt laugh. "Not unless you can forcibly hold a grown man to the bed while we administer treatment."

Actually, she _could_. "If he doesn't want help, why did he come here?"

Kaede hesitated again, reluctant to tell an outsider about the village's problems, but after a moment she caved. "Well, maybe you _can_ help. You're a ninja, right? You must know how to deal with these kinds of people. Maybe you can tell us what we're doing wrong."

She leaned against the counter. "See…he didn't come to us. He's not from this village or anywhere around here from what we can tell. This man…he stumbled into town and collapsed in the street about three weeks ago. He just wandered in…looked like a dead man walking, if you can imagine that. He was covered in burns and knife wounds that were several days old and completely untreated. We assume he's some kind of soldier because he looked like he'd been in a terrible fight—and if he came out of it looking like _that_ I don't want to know what happened to the loser. We brought him back here and searched him but he had no weapons, no belongings or identification of any kind. He was half starved too—still is, to be honest, because he hardly touches the food we give him."

Sakura was used to men stumbling into her village and collapsing in the street. Sometimes, on an especially difficult mission, it was all a shinobi could do to make it back home alive. But the citizens of this town wouldn't be accustomed to such a thing.

"You haven't been able to learn anything about him?"

She was genuinely curious, but also unable to ignore the little alarm in the back of her mind. The only military types around this area should be Cloud ninja, and they would be easily recognizable by the locals. If there were battles being fought nearby, she should learn what she could and inform the Hokage.

Kaede shook her head. "Well he was unconscious for the first few days, but since he woke he hasn't uttered a single word. I'm certain he'd be out the door in a heartbeat if he weren't too weak to get out of bed." She lowered her voice conspiratorially. "I think he might be an army deserter and won't say anything so we can't turn him in, not that we would. It's none of our business. Our job is to heal." Her tone hinted at a deep disapproval for all things warlike, which probably included Sakura's chosen profession as a ninja. Which might be way she was refusing her help.

"Were his injuries so bad that he's still bedridden after three weeks?"

"No, they've nearly healed, though it wasn't easy with the infections he got from leaving them untreated for who knows how long before he fell into our hands. While examining him when he was unconscious we learned that not only was he badly injured, but he's sick as well. Some sort of disease that makes him cough blood. At first I thought it was tuberculosis, but I was wrong. It's like nothing I've ever seen before in all my years of medicine. I can't tell if it's respiratory or intestinal, and he certainly won't tell me anything, but I do know this: it's been wasting him away for some time now, and there's nothing I can do for him even if he'd let me, other than ease his pain. He's dying, and from the advanced state of him I'd say he has a week, maybe two. It's a real shame; such a strong man like him surviving the fight of his life only to fall to debilitating illness." She shook her head sadly.

"I can take a look at him if you want. I can heal with chakra; maybe I can do something for him that traditional medicine can't," Sakura offered, sympathizing with Kaede's impotent frustration.

Kaede debated it for a moment, but finally shook her head and declined. "Thank you for offering, but I can't agree to that. He's too unstable, and frankly, he's dangerous. He frightens my nurses, and I think after what happened today neither of them will go near his room again. I'm worried about their safety and mine, to be honest, and I won't ask you to put yourself in harm's way."

Sakura held in a sigh. Apparently Kaede's sweet, grandmotherly look hid a keen, no-nonsense character. She understood her reasoning, even if it didn't apply to her. She was about to argue that she could handle herself perfectly well, but Kaede went on, her voice taking on a low, uneasy quality.

"He's too weak to even walk on his own…yet he's able to leave bruises on Mai's arm? There's something unnatural about him; he has a very intense, unpleasant aura the likes of which I've only felt before in the really bad types, if you know what I mean."

Sakura was almost certain now, after listening to Kaede, that the difficult patient in the other room was a missing-nin. She tried to detect his chakra to confirm her suspicion, but he was either masking it or too weak to produce traceable amounts.

To most civilians, ninja were regarded with caution and suspicion. They were widely thought of as a bunch of spooks—shadowy figures of society's underbelly. Mysterious, ruthless, immoral, and capable of things that those who couldn't manipulate chakra would think defied the laws of nature. If he was distressed and angry, the pressure of his chakra would certainly be the reason these women felt so on-edge around him.

"I've met some strange and powerful people in my time, your master Tsunade being one of them," Kaede continued. "But this guy is really something else. You'd never guess it by looking at him—to be perfectly honest he's really quite a handsome young man—but there's just something…_dark_ about him. My other nurse Shirui said that in the first week he was here, when she tried to give him an IV he slapped her hands away and got so angry his eyes flashed red. I don't know if she saw correctly or not, but I'm not sure I want to."

Kaede carried on griping about her unwelcome patient, but Sakura stopped listening as the truth of the situation dropped heavily upon her. The watchman had given her a strange look on her way in that she'd brushed off. Kaede had seemed almost suspicious of her when she'd commented on her Fire country accent.

'_We don't get strangers out this way often…'_

'…_collapsed in the street about three weeks ago…'_

'… _really quite a handsome young man…'_

'…_got so angry his eyes flashed red…'_

There was only one thing Sakura knew of that would make a person's eyes flash red from an adrenaline spike. How much of a coincidence could it be that almost exactly four weeks ago, as part of a search party combing the northern edge of Fire country, her team had found remnants of a fierce battle in an ancient Uchiha fortress?

How he managed to travel this far from the battle site with such terrible injuries, or where he was trying to get to, she had no idea. But there was one thing she was sure of.

In the room down the hall, only a few feet away from where she stood, was Uchiha Sasuke.

Eleven years after he'd left them for power and revenge, five after the war ended, and right now he was mere footsteps away and completely unaware of her presence.

And according to Kaede, he was dying.

He hadn't looked like someone who was terminally ill when he'd come at her with a Chidori-laden sword the last time they met, but stranger things had happened. Sakura had lost all illusions about her former teammate after that incident. Now this second time around, she felt none of the unrealistic hopes of before. Still, she couldn't help feeling something…maybe not happiness, but…relief? That he was still alive, that his whereabouts and status were no longer a giant question mark. She still cared what happened to him, even after all he'd done. Part of her would always care, no matter how angry and disappointed and betrayed she felt.

The mix of emotions fought for dominance within her, but what won out over the rest and bubbled to the surface was a deep sense of sadness and regret. If what Kaede said was true, if this really was the end for him, then she had only one option.

"I need to see him."

Her unfocused gaze and quiet mumble made it seem as if she were talking to herself, but Kaede heard her, and looked up with a surprised frown. "I appreciate your wanting to help, really, but as I said—"

"Please," she insisted. Kaede's reluctant expression only set further, and Sakura barely managed not to groan in frustration. If she appeared too eager the old woman would know something was up. She tried a different tactic. "The condition you described…I think I've read about it. I think I know what it might be. I may be able to help him." It _might_ be a lie, but then again it might not. Maybe she _would_ know. Maybe she could save him.

Right now she just needed to get into that room.

Kaede regarded her skeptically, reluctant to give in. But as a healer, she wouldn't be able to refuse trying every option to save her patient, and Sakura knew this. Finally, the doctor sighed and relented. "All right. I hope you _can_ do something." She removed her stethoscope from around her neck and handed it to Sakura. "It's the last door on the right, but don't say I didn't warn you."

"I'll be careful," Sakura promised absently, donning the stethoscope. It was all she could do not to make a mad dash for the hallway.

But about halfway down the hall, her steps unconsciously slowed in foreboding. What if he freaked out when he saw her and hurt himself somehow? What if he was so far gone in his illness that… _No_. She shook her head roughly, angry with herself for thinking such things. None of the what-ifs mattered. It was Sasuke. She _had_ to, if for nothing else than to gain closure and say goodbye.

It seemed strange that it could end like this, here in this tiny clinic in the middle of nowhere. It seemed wrong. Sasuke was supposed to come back to them, to Konoha, whether through an epiphany or common sense or Naruto's uncanny powers of friendship. In the darkest corner of her mind, the part of her that grew more hopeless with every passing year since he left had even imagined that he and Naruto would fight another epic battle and that Naruto would either bring him home by force, or that Sasuke—gods forbid Naruto, too—would be killed.

But this just seemed too… _insignificant _for their history. Naruto wasn't even here. If she was able to contact him, would he be able to make it in time? He would never forgive himself if he lost the chance…

Well then she would just have to find a way to save him.

Her hand was trembling as she reached for the door handle. Sakura paused, took a deep breath to steady her nerves and prepare herself for what she might find, and then quietly opened the door and stepped inside.

The bed stood along the far wall, away from the window—probably with reason, given the patient's obvious desire to be anywhere but here. This left him almost completely immersed in late-afternoon shadow, but Sakura could see that he was propped upright with his back against the headboard, and though his face was turned away, a spike of recognition and familiarity swept through her. His body language, the way he sat just slightly slumped in that brooding manner. His pale skin. His inky black hair, though it was longer than last time. And she could tell even from this distance that he was as thin and frail as Kaede had stated.

Her heart thudded heavily in her chest, cutting off any words she might have spoken, even if she knew what to say. He knew someone was there, and the silence was filled with the weight of his irritation. The seconds ticked by, and when she still hadn't moved and still couldn't say a word, he turned his head and glared at her.

Sakura's heart skipped a beat. She blinked once, then again, trying to focus through the shadowy room. She could have hit the lights but she was rooted to the spot, her limbs filled with a cold, sinking sensation. Her heart was beating so hard it hammered in her ears.

Sitting right in front of her, eyes narrowed in anger and probably frustration, was Sasuke Uchiha.

**xx**

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**Reminding you once more to leave a review for me!**

**On another note, if you haven't read her story already, evil-muffin-8 has a very well-written fanfiction dedicated to Sakura and Sasuke called My Darkness and is currently writing the sequel! It's a great read, and I wouldn't recommend it if I didn't love it! GO THERE AND REEEAAAD (and review there as well).**


	2. A Touch of Destiny

**Onward, valiant steeds, to read the story and review once you're finished! Kyaa!**

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_Five years after the Third Great Ninja War, the countries are almost finished rebuilding, counting their losses, and moving on. Sakura Haruno was moving on too, until a mission to the very edges of Lightning country has her questioning everything she thought she could believe. A story of secrets, love, jealousy, and the ultimate sacrifice._

**oo**

**Efflorescence**

**Chapter 2**

**A Touch of Destiny**

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**oo**

Tense, heavy seconds ticked by as she stared. Uchiha Sasuke looked every bit the ghost he'd become, but that didn't keep her from remembering everything he was, and everything he was not. As the shock gradually faded, her numbness was replaced by anger.

He'd tried to kill Naruto, kill _her _so many times and then he just disappears, not ready to take responsibility for his actions? His brother was dead, now his revenge had been sated, why hadn't he come back. Why hadn't he returned to get the justice he deserved. He'd hurt so many people she loved. He deserved punishment.

"Who are you."

It wasn't the flat, disinterested inflection or the hoarse rasp of his unused voice that threw her off, but the question itself.

Did he really not recognize her? It had been a while since they'd last seen each other... since they'd tried to kill each other. But she'd always thought her hair was an easy trademark to remember her by.

It took her a second to realize that his stare was just slightly unfocused, as if he couldn't quite see her clearly. She was standing in a partial shadow, but she had a feeling that the darkness wasn't an issue.

She'd heard that the use of the Sharingan would eventually deteriorate the users vision. And the overuse of it, which she had no doubt Sasuke abused, would speed up the process.

He was waiting for her answer, so she quickly thought of one that would use his inability to recognize her to her advantage. "I'm a doctor - a specialist. Kaede has asked me to see what I can do for you." She lied easily, using her professional medic voice as she tried to ignore the shakiness she was feeling at the sight of him.

Sasuke continued to glare at her, displaying no outward sign of belief or disbelief, and even as he watched her, no sign of familiarity. Finally he looked away and turned partially to the wall, subtly dismissing her. "There is nothing you can do."

If there was anything she didn't like more than the surprise of finding him here, it was being told she couldn't do something. It didn't matter who said it. "You may be surprised."

Her steps were cautious, but she didn't want him to think he was afraid like the other nurses. In his state, she knew if he suddenly became wary she could disable his arms in a matter of seconds. But she still couldn't let her nerves show. She had to focus on keeping her chakra locked down and undetectable. This was Uchiha Sasuke, and however weak and unarmed he appeared, it would be incredibly stupid of her to assume he was defenseless.

In the few feet between the door and the bed, her mind raced to formulate some kind of plan. What was she going to do? What would she be _expected _to do? Should she make an excuse to get out of there and send a message to Tsunade? Should she try and subdue and capture him, take him back with her? In his current state she didn't think it would be too hard. Should she subtly try and get information out of him? Should she just kill him right here and now like she'd been planning to do the last time they met?

None of those options felt right. She had no idea what to do.

Only when she reached his side did Sasuke turn, though she knew he had been aware of her every movement. She felt like she hadn't seen those dark eyes without the Sharingan in years, and it _had _been years, and still she found that they pierced her with a deep intensity that shook her core.

Sakura experienced another rush of nerves. What now? She'd said she was there to treat him... that was a good place to start.

Reluctant as she was to stand near him or touch him, she was truly curious about what sort of condition could bring Sasuke to the brink of death.

"I know you've been refusing treatment because you think it's pointless," she began slowly, calmly. Normally she preferred the same no-nonsense approach her mentor practiced, but this situation required more delicacy than the average chuunin with a broken bone from sparring. "But I'm more skilled than those nurses and I may be able to help you. Will you allow me to examine you?"

Sasuke ignored her, stared straight ahead as if she wasn't there. Only the slightest clench of his jaw proved that he'd heard, and was against her proposal.

Apparently the gentle approach wasn't going to work with him.

Sakura sighed impatiently and crossed her arms over her chest. "What's the harm?" She demanded coolly. "Unless you want to die..."

His eyes snapped to her unpleasantly, and then he froze, like he was just seeing her for the first time and she panicked. It was only a matter of time before he realized that rare coral color of her hair and put the pieces together. She wasn't just some human doctor, she was his old teammate. They'd tried to kill each other. The only things missing were a loud-mouthed blonde and a sensei with his nose in an inappropriate book.

She willed herself to hold his gaze with what she hoped was equal intensity. Finally, his jaw unclenched and he exhaled a slow sigh through his nose.

"Fine."

Sakura gave the barest smile at her small, shallow victory before a professional veneer slipped over her features and she placed the stethoscope in her ears. When her hands came into contact with him, he tensed. It was no surprise that he was uncomfortable being touched. "This will feel a little cold," she warned quietly, sliding the metal disc under the loose edge of his shirt, moving it to rest over his back.

"Deep breath, please." He did, and the sound of his respiration was muted by fluid. Sounded like pneumonia, thought it wasn't mucous filling his lungs, it was blood.

She wished she could use a medical jutsu to probe more extensively, but not if it meant she could end up with a broken neck in seconds. She could feel his eyes watching every inch of her movements like a bird of prey, waiting. She removed the disc from under his shirt and shifted around him. "Lift the front of your shirt."

He tensed suddenly, head whipping around to look at her. In the blink of an eye, she was flipped onto her back and pinned to the bed, immobilized by shock and Sasuke's painful grip on her wrists as he knelt over her. It took only a second to recover, but she didn't know what set him off and so forced herself to remain still and play the part of the frightened civilian doctor.

"_Kunoichi_." he hissed dangerously, eyes spinning red with the Sharingan.

Sakura had no idea how, but she'd been discovered. Abandoning her charade, she channeled chakra to her hands and twisted her wrists out of his hold. She drove her knee into his hip, frantically wriggled out from beneath him and crouched back at the foot of the bed.

They faced off at opposite sides of the small bed, coiled and tense like vipers waiting to strike at the slightest threatening movement. Sakura was armed beneath her cloak, and Sasuke wasn't, and she could discern just how weak he really was from how easily she'd gotten away from him, though he was still remarkably fast.

Sasuke's breathing was labored; the short struggle had taxed him. She avoided his eyes - rule number one when facing an Uchiha - and watched his lips instead, parting as his breaths came in shorter gasps. Then he straightened slightly, head tilting to the side. He blinked in visible surprise, eyes narrowing a fraction as he studied the details of her face. "Sakura?"

Heavy silence pressed down upon them as they regarded each other. His expression had been a little shocked at first, but then his eyes darkened and he tensed back up. "What are you doing here."

"Relax, I'm not here to kill you." A beat passed. "Why are _you_ here?"

His response was a flat, even stare.

Sakura sighed. "I was just passing through. I'm a medic. This is a clinic. I had no idea you were even alive, Sasuke. I'd been told the opposite, actually."

"Why did you pretend to aid me, if not to get under my guard?" he asked, still eyeing her. The voice she remembered as rich and smooth was now raspy and weak, hoarse from the rawness of his throat and the fact that he hadn't spoken in weeks.

"I didn't pretend. I wanted to know what's wrong with you."

Silence stretched between them again. Sakura relaxed onto her knees and stared at her hands, torn about what to do. Perhaps Konoha didn't need to know, if he was dying anyway. Maybe she should just leave quietly and let him live out the last of his days in peace. He was a criminal now, just like his brother.

"I'm sorry it ends like this for you."

Sasuke blinked slowly, confused. "Why."

Sakura took a deep breath. "Because it's not fitting."

The barest hint of a sardonic smile crossed his face. "This wasn't the outcome I expected either."

This time the quiet was more awkward than tense. It was hard to believe she was sitting here like this with him. After their history, after she'd written him off as dead in all of their lives. After she and Naruto and Kakashi had started to move on and accept that now their old teammate could never come back and Naruto could no longer chase after him.

The moment was surreal, out of place in time and the events of the world. And she thought maybe it should stay that way.

Sakura stood abruptly. "I'm not going to report this, so you can.. you can stay here until..." She knew from her brief investigation that he wouldn't live long. A week, maybe two, just as Kaede had said. "I'm sorry."

Her mouth opened to say something else, but then closed again as she turned for the door. "Goodbye."

"Sakura." Sasuke said, grabbing her wrist. It hurt a little, and she belatedly realized he must have bruised her in the struggle. He was still so strong. Surprised, she turned back quickly. His eyes had gone dark again, but still bored into her in a way that left her feeling very exposed.

"I know what's wrong with me. There is no medicinal cure." He released her wrist and leaned back. "But you can heal with more than medicine."

She held his eyes and pursed her lips.

"Finish your examination. Tell me if there's anything that can be done."

He didn't deserve it. Didn't deserve a lot of things. But the least she could do was give him closure. Either something could be done to help him, or he would have to accept the fact that he was nearing the end of his life.

"Okay." She unbuttoned her coat and hung it over the edge of the bed. His eyes immediately darted to the brace of a kunai strapped to her hip. Her lips tightened. "You're not going to tackle me again, are you?" After a moment of waiting, she knew she wasn't going to get an answer. She sighed and sat next to him.

Sasuke remained silent and passive as she continued her examination, this time with chakra. Placing one hand on his chest and the other on his back, she sent gently glowing pulses of her own energy into his body. He didn't watch her every move this time, but the tension in his frame told her his guard hadn't lowered any. Neither had hers.

It went more quickly with a medical jutsu. There would be no need for incessant probing, tests, x-rays, or extensive questioning. She learned all she needed to know through direct contact with his internal systems. Within a few minutes she drew her hands away, the pale green glow fading from her palms as she sat back.

Sasuke noted her frown, but his own expression remained impassive. Unlike most patients, he didn't press her for answers, just waited calmly - too calmly - for confirmation of life or death.

"I remember hearing about your brother's illness." She watched the way his eyes darkened at the mention of his wayward brother. Long since dead by Sasuke's hand, but she knew that this same disease would have killed the elder Uchiha in time. "Is it hereditary? Or is this something caused from overusing the Sharingan?" It had many ill-effects. Every gift had to come with a curse.

When there was no response, she sighed and continued. "I don't know if I can cure the cause, though I think I could heal the existing damage and buy you some time. But..."

"But why should you," he finished. "After everything I've put you through."

She paused, watching his weak frame. "Right. Why should I?"

And now she was stuck in the same spot she had been in before. What was she supposed to do about this situation? Heal him, give him as much time as he could to live out the rest of his miserable life? Sakura sighed tiredly, bringing a hand to her brow. "Sasuke.."

He shifted his position, leaned a bit more into the light, and suddenly Sakura noticed something she hadn't before, something she couldn't quite believe she was seeing. "Your arm..." she murmured uncomprehendingly, staring at the long straight line of a deep, newly healed scar. "You tried to _kill _yourself?"

If he had tried to kill himself, why was he so desperate for her to save him now?

Silence stretched between them, a momentary stalemate. Then a moment later, his voice barely audible, Sasuke said, "A quick death is preferable to _this_," he gestured at himself, at his state. "But they found me."

Sakura could only stare at him in dismay.

This certainly wasn't the knockdown drag-out brawl Sakura had always expected would happen when they were finally forced to confront their history. If Sasuke had already realized what Naruto had been trying to pummel into him all these years, what was left to say? It obviously hadn't made any difference. Or had it?

"I can give you information. Anything you want to know. About Madara, about Itachi, about Akatsuki."

"Sasuke-" she started again.

"Sakura," there was an imploring edge to his soft tone that forced her to meet his gaze. His dark eyes seemed to penetrate right to her soul. "_Please_."

She shook her head, at a loss for words, at a loss as to what she should do. What _was _the right thing to do?

Sakura just stared at him for a long moment. What would Naruto do? "I... I have to think about it," she said finally, hating how unsteady her voice sounded.

Without another word, she quickly left the room. She knew if she went back to the lobby Kaede would question her, so she escaped into the empty room next door. She didn't turn on a light, just sat at the edge of the bed and put her head in her hands.

She was more than a little shaken by Sasuke's clear desperation, by the fact that he was pleading with her. It was unfathomable. Even if she saved him for now he would likely be executed the moment he was discovered. He would have to be a nomad for the rest of his life, never staying in one place for too long, never having a place to settle down.

Furthermore, she didn't trust him. She didn't trust that if she did heal him he wouldn't go running into Konoha to try and destroy it again. She didn't trust that he wanted to live an angelic life and just move on from the monstrous things he did in his past.

And she didn't want to help him. After everything he'd done to her, to the people she cared about... he didn't _deserve _to be saved.

Now his life was in her hands just as surely as if she held a blade to his throat. He'd been resigned to death, tried to kill himself, even refused medical treatment. But now, because of her, because she could do things that no ordinary doctor in the world could, he had hope. It was a heavy burden to bear.

And she couldn't just ignore the history. She couldn't ignore what Naruto would want her to do in this situation. He'd wanted to bring him back... he'd always wanted to bring him back and now she had the chance to help him with that. But they'd been moving on for five years, would it be the right thing to bring him back into their lives and risk being disappointed again?

He'd also promised her information, revolutionary information about Madara and Akatsuki that the Hokage would pay her weight in gold for. How could she turn down an opportunity like that?

She couldn't, really. Her honor as a medic and her duty to her village as a shinobi overruled her personal feelings on the matter.

With a heavy heart and a confused mind, she stood and returned to his room. She shut the door silently and made her way to his bedside. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Okay, I'll do it."

Sasuke showed no sign of relief or happiness, only solemnly replied, "Thank you."

She wasn't interested in his gratitude. "I can't make any guarantees," she continued coolly, "but I'll try my best."

He nodded once. "That's all I'm asking."

"This will take some time," she explained, moving to sit in the chair. "Weeks, months even. I'm not a machine, and if I over strain myself too often I could end up as bedridden as you. This is a risky venture for both of us, and the chance of success would be greater in a hospital so I'll contact the Hokage and arrange for your transportation to Konoha-"

"No." He cut in, a steely edge in his voice. "There are unwanted eyes in Konoha that I can't risk finding out I'm alive. And I might not survive the journey."

He was right about the trip. Konoha was far away, and the weather worsened daily. But what eyes were there to hide from? "Unwanted eyes?"

"Root. Danzo's pets. If they find out I'm alive they'll kill me."

She remembered hearing about Danzo's death. It had given her the push she needed to find Sasuke. If he was killing elders of the village she loved, then he needed to be stopped. She'd wanted so badly to kill him - to end the boy who was starting to become a monster. She'd failed then, but she knew that if she hadn't chosen to save him and get the information she would have let him die. She could have.

"Well we can't stay _here._" She argued. "This clinic doesn't have many resources, and besides, after the way you've treated the nurses I doubt they'd _let_ you stay for another month or two. What am I supposed to do?"

"Figure it out," he said calmly, as if it were as simple as deciding on a restaurant for dinner.

Sakura threw her hands up with an aggravated growl and stood. She paced the room a few times, occasionally shooting him an angry glare. She knew what he was asking of her, and she knew the risks involved. Naruto would tell her she should _not _be alone with him, even if it meant taking out Akatsuki and getting information on Madara. Tsunade would tell her to be careful, but to buck up and do her duty. Her own inner voice was telling her that she was insane for even considering it.

She knew he was different now. They both were. And she didn't trust him not to kill her while she slept after he was healed.

This could all turn out to be the most foolish thing she'd ever done. But the necessity was clear, the choice already made. She took a deep breath and locked her eyes on him, narrowed and threatening.

"I'll see what I can do."

With a final infuriated glare in his direction, she turned on her heel and left the room to find Kaede.

**oo**

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**Chapter 2 fin.**

**Review for me :)**


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